A constrative analysis of similes in English and Vietnamese

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BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC DÂN LẬP HẢI PHÒNG







ISO 9001 : 2008

KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP



NGÀNH: TIẾNG ANH








HẢI PHÒNG - 2012
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HAIPHONG PRIVATE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

ISO 9001 : 2008

GRADUATION PAPER
A CONTRASTIVE analysis of similes in English and
Vietnamese

By:
DUONG THU HIEN

Class:
NA 1201

Supervisor:
DANG THI VAN, M.A



HAI PHONG - 2012

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BỘ GIÁO DỤC VÀ ĐÀO TẠO
TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC DÂN LẬP HẢI PHÒNG

Nhiệm vụ đề tài tốt nghiệp








Sinh viên: Mã số:
Lớp: Ngành:
Tên đề tài:






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Nhiệm vụ đề tài
1. Nội dung và các yêu cầu cần giải quyết trong nhiệm vụ đề tài tốt nghiệp
(về lý luận, thực tiễn, các số liệu cần tính toán và các bản vẽ).
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2. Các số liệu cần thiết để thiết kế, tính toán.
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3. Địa điểm thực tập tốt nghiệp.
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CÁN BỘ HƯỚNG DẪN ĐỀ TÀI
Người hướng dẫn thứ nhất:
Họ và tên:
Học hàm, học vị:
Cơ quan công tác:
Nội dung hướng dẫn:

Người hướng dẫn thứ hai:
Họ và tên:
Học hàm, học vị:

Cơ quan công tác:
Nội dung hướng dẫn:

Đề tài tốt nghiệp được giao ngày tháng năm 2012
Yêu cầu phải hoàn thành xong trước ngày tháng năm 2012

Đã nhận nhiệm vụ ĐTTN Đã giao nhiệm vụ ĐTTN
Sinh viên Người hướng dẫn



Hải Phòng, ngày tháng năm 2012
HIỆU TRƯỞNG



GS.TS.NGƯT Trần Hữu Nghị
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PHẦN NHẬN XÉT TÓM TẮT CỦA CÁN BỘ HƯỚNG DẪN
1. Tinh thần thái độ của sinh viên trong quá trình làm đề tài tốt
nghiệp:
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2. Đánh giá chất lượng của khóa luận (so với nội dung yêu cầu đã đề ra
trong nhiệm vụ Đ.T. T.N trên các mặt lý luận, thực tiễn, tính toán số
liệu…):
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
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3. Cho điểm của cán bộ hướng dẫn (ghi bằng cả số và chữ):
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………
Hải Phòng, ngày … tháng … năm 2012
Cán bộ hướng dẫn
(họ tên và chữ ký)
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NHẬN XÉT ĐÁNH GIÁ
CỦA NGƯỜI CHẤM PHẢN BIỆN ĐỀ TÀI TỐT NGHIỆP
1. Đánh giá chất lượng đề tài tốt nghiệp về các mặt thu thập và phân tích
tài liệu, số liệu ban đầu, giá trị lí luận và thực tiễn của đề tài.

2. Cho điểm của người chấm phản biện :
(Điểm ghi bằng số và chữ)


Ngày tháng năm 2012
Người chấm phản biện

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In the process of completing this graduation paper, I have received a
great deal of assistance, guidance and encouragement from my supervisor, my
teachers, my friends and my family.
First of all, I would like to express my deepest thanks to my supervisor-
the Vice Dean of Foreign Languages Faculty of Hai Phong private university,
Mrs Dang Thi Van, M.A. who has given me suggestions on how to shape the
study and has continuously encouraged me, has given me valuable advices,
constructive comments during the time of writing this graduation paper. Also,
that is she who woke me up so that I can fulfill this study on time.
Secondly, I also whole- heartedly thank all of teachers in Foreign
Languages Faculty of Hai Phong Private University who have provided
materials for this study and have taught me through four years of university.
I also want to express my sincere thanks to Bui Thi Ha, my partner as
well as all my friends who have always shared to me their interests, concerns
and supports to this study.
Last but not least, I would like to thank all members in my family who
have facilitated me to complete this study.

Hai Phong, June, 2012
Student
Duong Thu Hien


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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
1. Rationale of the study 1
2. Aims of the study. 2
3. Scope of the study. 2
4. Method of the study. 3
5. Design of the study. 3
PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT 4
CHAPTER I. Theoretical background 4
1. Definition 4
2. Basic elements of similes 5
3. Classification of similes 7
3.1. Based on the similar features 7
3.1.1. Implicit simile 7
3.1.2. Explicit simile 8
3.2. Based on component word and phrase 10
3.2.1. Comparisons with adjectives 10
3.2.2. Comparison with verbs 11
3.2.3. Miscellaneous comparison 12
4. Linguistic features of similes in English And Vietnamese 13
4.1. The acoustic feature of speech 13
4.2. Numerous components in Vietnamese similes 13
4.3. The implicit feature of comparative words 14

4.4. The national feature 14
4.5. The involvement of other figures of speech 15
4.6. The cliché characteristics of similes 16
CHAPTER II. The contrastive analysis of similes in English and
Vietnamese 17
1. Implicit simile “like” 17
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1.1. Comparative expression of “like” – “như” in Vietnamese 18
1.2. Other expression of “like” in Vietnamese 20
2. Explicit simile “as…as” 25
2.1. Simile relating to colours 25
2.1.1. Black 25
2.1.2. Red 27
2.1.3. White 28
2.1.4. Pale 30
2.2. Explicit similes relating to human’s characters. 31
2.2.1. Positive characters. 32
2.2.2. Negative characters. 37
2.3. Physical characteristics 43
CHAPTER III. IMPLICATION 49
1. Problem faced by learners in studying similes 49
1.1. Problem in understanding. 49
1.2. Problem in memorizing. 51
2. Suggested solutions. 52
2.1. In understanding. 53
2.2. In memorizing. 53
2.3. In using effectively 54
PART THREE: CONCLUSION 57
1. The issues addressed in the study. 57

2. Suggestion for further study. 58
REFERENCES 59
APPENDIX 62
Exercises 62
Key to exercises 65
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PART ONE: INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale of the study
Language plays an important role in human life. Everyone tries to
acquire, learn and use language as means of communication and
simultaneously as social symbol of humanity. By using language, someone
could make statement, convey facts and knowledge explain or report
something as well as keep social relations among the language users. They are
to indicate that by means of language, people can express their ideas, felling,
information, etc through communication.
As one of the languages in the world, English is considered and applied
an international language. Since then, it is very popular and has been spoken
and learnt by almost people in the world. In a developing country like
Vietnam, English plays a vital role in various aspects. Especially, English can
be used for developing relationships in the global forum, for reading English
books (especially for English majors and researchers for approaching
human’s knowledge in English – the global language).
However, to gain remarkable achievements in studying this
international language like the other languages in the world, learners must
spread their approaching over various skills such as listening, writing and
especially reading. Why reading is mentioned special? The reason lies in the
weakness of the researcher of this study.
As an English major, during years of studying English in university, I
am always in trouble with reading skills. Beside the lack of reading skills,

particular set expressions are also of great concern. Surprisingly, how can the
same components make the different meanings in an expression? I am
confused with the variation of these sayings.
In addition, a perfect understanding of how set expressions are used in
daily life language is not only important for English students to improve their
vocabulary, but also to understand new and original idioms when we hear and
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use them in daily life. These are the reasons why I decided to do a research on
the topic of simile. In fact, simile is a subtype of set expressions. Besides,
simile attracts me with its appearance in rule of using comparative words of
“like” and “as…as”. Also, when I started to make a minor comparison
between Vietnamese and English simile, this linguistic issue totally captivates
my attention and drives me the wish to study more to understand as well as
make us of it. Therefore, I hope that this major issue in my graduation report
will help me enhance my knowledge of it and then help others to grasp the
deep meanings shown in each simile. Nevertheless, due to the limitation of
time and scope as well as the size of the study, I only focus on the Vietnamese
and English similes relating to colors, human’s characters as well as physical
characteristics.
2. Aims of the study:
The study aims at:
 Widening knowledge of the learners and someone interested in
similes.
 Enriching the English similes for learners.
 Helping the learners use simile correctly in relevant ways.
 Giving out solutions for difficulties in studying similes and tips for
effective use.
3. Scope of the study:
It is rather difficult for me to study all the similes of all topics due to

the limitation of my knowledge as well as the time so I only focus on similes
in term of typical colors,human’s negative and positive characters as well as
physical characteristics. In addition, I will try to have a contrastive analysis on
Vietnamese and English similes in some cases.


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4. Method of the study:
This study is carried out basing on:
 Material collection from various reference books, dictionaries as
well as golden websites to establish the theoretical background.
 Quantitative method including consulting ideas from people joining
in the research.
 Comparative research to find out the similarities and differences
used in similes between English and Vietnamese.
5. Design of the study:
This study consists of three parts and the second is the most important
one.
Part One is the introduction which states the reason of the study, the
aims of the study, and the scope of the study, the method of the study and the
design of the study as well.
Part Two is the Development which is the main content consisting of
three chapters. The first chapter is the theoretical background. It focuses on
some general definitions. The second chapter stresses on two kinds of similes
basing on comparing them in English and Vietnamese. The third chapter will
give out some problem learners are facing in studying similes and suggested
solutions as well as some exercises for practicing.
Part Three is the Conclusion of the whole study which summarizes the
main topic given in the part two.

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PART TWO: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER I: Theoretical background of simile in English.
1. Definition
Of all figures of speech, simile is said to be the simplest and the most
common used. Simile is utilized popularly in numerous languages and
linguistic fields. It is believed that simile is taken the best advantages in
making writings or work more interesting and entertaining.
There are ample ways to give simile a definition.
First of all, in Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary (1997, p.593), C.
Jonathan defines: “Simile is a comparison of one thing with another”. It is
considered the briefest and simplest definition.
However, far from now, Kirssner and Mandell (1987, p.82) gave a more
specific definition: “A simile is a comparison between two essentially unlike
items on the basis of a shared quality; similes are produced by like or as”.
Another idea of same thought in The American Heritage College
Dictionary (1997, p.1270) supports the above definition as the authors
confirm simile as: “A figure of speech in which two essentially unlike things
are explicit compared, usually by the means of like or as”.
Besides, it is quoted from Wikipedia.org that: “Simile is a figure of speech
that directly compares two different things, usually by employing the words
“like” or “as”.
It could be concluded from above mentioned definitions that simile
involves some forms of comparison using “like” or “as” and the comparison
here is explicit.
In Vietnamese, according to Lac and Hoa (2001, p.189), simile is
defined as: “So sánh (còn gọi là tỉ dụ) là phương thức diễn đạt tu từ khi đem
sự vật này đối chiếu với sự vật khác miễn là giữa hai sự vật có một nét tương

đồng nào đó, để gợi ra hình ảnh cụ thể, những cảm xúc thẩm mĩ trong nhận
thức của người đọc, người nghe”.
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For example:
Tình anh như nước dâng cao
Tình em như dải lụa đào tẩm hương.
(Ha, 2011, p.196)
In addition, in “Từ điển Tiếng Việt;, simile is given as : “Tỉ dụ là phép
so sánh để làm nổi bật một tính chất nào đó”.For example: “Đẹp như tiên.”
(Huyen & Tri, 2010, p.753)
In Vietnamese, a simile is always supported by the words “như”, “tựa”,
“tày”, “bằng”, etc. Besides, there are pairs of word “bao nhiêu…bấy nhiêu”,
“tựa thể”, “ngang”, so on. These features will be discussed in details with
examples in the next chapter for the contrastive analysis of English and
Vietnamese similes.
For the clear definitions with original features, the study on similes will
suggest amazing discovery among researchers.
2. Basic elements of similes.
It could be briefly concluded from the definitions that similes create
comparison between two things by using “like” or “as”. Grammatically,
simile is the form which represents two propositions in the semantic structure.
In reality, any proposition consists of two parts: a topic and a comment about
that topic. To illustrate, the proposition “My friend is beautiful” amounts to
the topic “my friend” and the comment “is beautiful”. Apparently, if a simile
occurs, there will be two propositions which are related to each other by a
comparison. The comparison appears in the comment part of the propositions.
By way of illustration, the simile in English “My friend is as changeable as
the weather” is based on two propositions:
a. My friend is changeable.

Topic comment
b. The weather is changeable.
Topic comment
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In (1), the topic is “my friend” and the comment is “changeable”. In (2), the
topic is “the weather” and the comment is also “changeable”. It is obvious
that the topic of the former is being compared to that of the latter since the
two propositions are identical. The topic in the second proposition is the thing
that the first topic is like; it is called the “image” or the illustration. The “point
of similarity” is found in the comments, in this case, is “is changeable”. Let us
consider another example, “He was like a bull in a china shop, treading on
everyone’s feet and apologize constantly.” In this case, only the topic “He”
and the image of the simile “a bull in a china shop” are given out. The point
of similarity, however, is implicit. To analyze this simile, we can state the two
propositions explicitly as follows:
a. He is extremely careless and clumsy.
Topic comment
b. A bull in a china shop is extremely careless and clumsy.
Topic comment
Subsequently, the implicit information becomes apparent. The point
of similarity turns out to be “is extremely careless and clumsy”. In short,
similes include three basic elements. They are:
1. TOPIC: the topic of the first proposition (non - figurative), i.e., the
thing really being talked about.
2. IMAGE: the topic of the second proposition (figurative), i.e., what is
being compared with.
3. POINT OF SIMILARITY: this is found in the comments of the two
propositions involved. To sum up, it is advisable to write out the
propositions, which are basic to comparisons. That the topic, image,

point of similarity have been identified is helpful to interpret simile.

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3. Classification of simile.
So as to have an insightful look at simile, it is vital for identification to
be taken into consideration. However, there are various ways to classify them
based on different criteria. This study will focus on two simple ways to
identify this idiom of comparison:
 Based on the similar features given by Leon.
 Based on component word and phrase mentioned on Wiktionary
Online.
3.1. Based on the similar features
First of all, let us have a look at the classification of simile based on
similar features. According to Leon, there are explicit simile using “as…as”
and implicit simile using “like”.
3.1.1. Implicit similes.
In the implicit case, characterized by the use of 'like' to connect the two
ideas, the simile leaves an audience to determine for themselves which
features of the target are being predicated:
Implicit similes
Meaning
Sleep like a baby
Sleep soundly
Work like the devil
Work hard
swim like a fish
swim very well
sing like a bird
sing very well

multiply like rabbits
have many babies
live like a candle in the wind
live dangerously


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3.1.2. Explicit similes.
On the contrary, the explicit simile with the using of “as…as” makes
the comparison much clearer to the target. For example:
Explicit similes Meaning
As tough as nails strong and determined
As cunning as a fox very foxy
As stubborn as a mule very stubborn
As dry as bone extremely dry
As colorful as a rainbow very beautiful
It could be concluded from the examples that the meaning in explicit
simile is much clearer than in the implicit one for the features as well as
characteristics of the objectives are given to make the comparison more
obvious.
In Vietnamese, according to Lac and Hoa (2001, p.190), the full form
of simile includes four components and it is illustrated in the following chart:
1.Comparing
objects
2.Comparative
characteristics
3.Comparative
words
4.Compared objects

Gái
có chồng
như
gông đeo cổ.
Các chóp mái
đều lượn rập rờn
như
các nếp sóng bạc đầu.
Lòng ta
vẫn vững
như
kiềng ba chân.
(Lac & Hoa, 2001, p191)
However, there is some exception for the above form which is used in
folklore. They are:
 Reversing the comparative order:
Chòng chành như nón không quai
Như thuyền không lái như ai không chồng.
(Ha, 2011, p.122)

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 Cutting down comparative characteristics:
Ai về ai ở mặc ai
Ta như dầu đượm thắp hoài năm canh.
(Ha, 2011, p.138)
 Cutting down comparative words:
Gái thương chồng, đương đông buổi chợ…
(Ha, 2011, p.202)

 Adding the pair of “ bao nhiêu…bấy nhiêu” in:
Qua đình ngả nón trông đình
Đình bao nhiêu ngói, thương mình bấy nhiêu.
(Ha, 2011, p.262)
From the chart of full form of simile, the authors put in another
example of folklore to come to an important conclusion.
1.Comparing
objects
2.Comparative
characteristics
3.Comparative
words
4.Compared
objects
Cổ tay em
trắng
như
ngà
Con mắt em
sắc
như là
dao cau
Con mắt em liếc
ø
như là
dao cau
Miệng cười
ø
như thể
hoa ngâu

Chiếc khăn
đội đầu
ø
như thể
hoa sen
(Lac & Hoa, 2001, p191)
“Sắc” is the characteristics of “dao cau” so it is the comparative
characteristic. Meanwhile, “liếc” is the action but not the characteristic of the
“con mắt” therefore the third sentence contains no comparative characteristic.
Similarly, “cười” and “đội đầu” are not the comparative characteristics of
“hoa ngâu” and “hoa sen”, respectively.
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As a result, the important conclusion lies on the comparative
characteristics of the objects. That is comparative characteristics which
classify simile in to implicit simile or “so sánh chìm” in Vietnamese and
explicit simile or “so sánh nổi” in Vietnamese.
In “ Phong cách học Tiếng Việt” (1982, p.358), Hien wrote “Xét về mặt
nội dung, đối tượng nằm ở hai vế của phép so sánh (hình ảnh) là khác loại,
nhưng lại có những nét nào đó giống nhau, nét giống nhau này có thể hoặc
“nổi” hoặc “chìm”. He also gave examples for illustration:

 “Implicit simile”:
Trẻ em như búp trên cành
Biết ăn ngủ, biết học hành là ngoan.
(Hien, 1982, p.221)
 “Explicit simile”:
Dù ai nói ngả nói nghiêng
Lòng ta vẫn vững như kiềng ba chân.
(Hien, 1982, p.235)

It is obvious that the criterion to classify simile is similar in both
English and Vietnamese. When the comparative characteristics are given, the
simile is explicit. On the other hand, when the comparative characteristics are
hidden, the simile is implicit. The readers must make use of their general
knowledge to find out the comparative characteristics.
3.2. Based on component word and phrase
Secondly, let us turn to the point of classification of simile based on
component word and phrase mentioned by Wiktionary Online. Pursuant to
this clarification, simile can be divided into three groups:
3.2.1. Comparisons with adjectives:
Idioms of this group are constructed as:
As + Adjective + as + (a/the) + Noun.
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The point of similarity is explicitly given out. Through these idioms,
characteristics of compared objectives are exposed symbolically. For
instance:
As bald as a coot
(
As youthful as the month of May
(
As treacherous as the memory
(
In Vietnamese idioms, typical examples of comparisons with adjectives
are:
Nhát như thỏ đế
(Hung, 2005, p.143)
Hiền như bụt
(Hung, 2005, p.99)
3.2.2. Comparisons with verbs:

Verbs + like + a/ the + noun
Many verbs with simple meaning and structure take part in forming
idioms of this group to emphasize or make clear actions or behaviors of the
compared objectives. Though the point of similarity is hidden, the idioms are
still trouble-free to comprehend thanks to their simplicity. For instance,
English idioms include:
To cry like a baby
(
To follow like a shadow
(

22

To spread like wildfire
(
Vietnamese idioms utilize:
Ăn như mèo
(
Chạy như cờ lông công
(Luc, 2002, p.119)
Hót như khướu
(Luc, 2002, p.349)
3.2.3. Miscellaneous comparisons:
These kinds of comparisons do not follow any regular patterns. As
compared to the aforementioned ways, these types of “set of comparison” –
even fewer in number – are frequently used by native English speakers for
this might make their verbal communication more and more vivid.
Their structures may be:
(Verb) + Like/ as + a clause
(Verb) + Like/ as + a verb phrase

(Verb) + Like/ as + a noun phrase
Here are the idioms to exemplify:
(To be) like a red rag to a bull
(
(To have) a memory like an elephant
(
Như cá trên cạn
(Hung, 2005, p.145)
Tiền vào nhà khó như gió vào nhà trống
(Hung, 2005, p.187)
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4. The linguistic features of similes in English and Vietnamese.
4.1 The acoustic feature of speech.
In Vietnamese proverbs, the acoustic feature has been particularly
noticed. Therefore, both two components in similes usually have alliteration
or reduplication. This acoustic feature is more prominent in Vietnamese
similes than those in English owing to the monosyllabism, the creative
assonance of Vietnamese and the contribution of a harmonious collection of
six tones. For example:
Rành rành như canh nấu hẹ.
(Lan, 2008, p. 386)
Một cái rắm bằng nắm thuốc tiêu.
(Lan, 2008, p. 291)
Một giọt máu đào hơn ao nước lã.
(Lan, 2008, p.294)
Chị em dâu như bầu nước lã.
(Lan, 2008, p. 82)
However, this feature seems to be scanty in English so that the
researcher has not found out any simile of this feature yet.

4.2 Numerous components in Vietnamese similes.
Some Vietnamese proverbs have four components, two sides or even
more, which specifically makes the difference between similes in Vietnamese
from those in English. For example:
Công cha như núi Thái Sơn, nghĩa mẹ như nước trong
nguồn chảy ra.
(Ha, 2011, p.228)
Con có cha như nhà có nóc, con có mẹ như bẹ ấp măng.
(Lan, 2008, p.108)
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Ăn như rồng cuốn, nói như rồng leo, làm như mèo mửa.
(Luc, 2002, p.31)
4.3 The implicit feature of comparative words.
A lot of Vietnamese proverbs that are created by using similes have
two sides linked to each other by comma or implicit conjunction “cũng như”,
“bằng” whereas similes in English do not have this feature.
For example:
Miếng ngon nhớ lâu, (cũng như) đòn đau nhớ đời.
(Lan, 2008, p. 286)
Liệu cơm gắp mắm, (cũng như) liệu con gả chồng.
(Lan, 2008, p. 257)
4.4 The national feature.
Who is the first person to create a very special and vivid way of
comparing things – the so-called simile? That is the forefathers and our
ancestors long time ago. The similes reflect every aspect of their daily lives
from their belief, their values as well as customs and traditions. We can trace
back the distinctive and ancient traits of Vietnamese and English cultures
through similes. So, people may have difficulty understanding these long-
standing similes fully without any explanation. For example:

Gái có con như bồ hòn có rễ
(Luc, 2002, p.181)
The soapberry takes roots deeply and firmly into the ground, just like
the women, once they have already had children, they will strongly adhere to
their families.

As wise as Solomon
(
25

This is a difficult and ambiguous simile in English. It may confuse
people who have never read the Bible in their life. Who is Solomon? Solomon
is a king mentioned in the Bible and he is famous for his foresight and his
intelligence.
4.5 The involvement of other figures of speech.
Similes can include other figures of speech.
 Here are some similes including hyperbole in English and Vietnamese:
He ran like greased lightning.
(
Khinh như rác.
(Lan, 2008, p.224)
 Similes in English often make use of irony and sarcasm. In such cases,
they may even mean the opposite of the adjective used like these following
examples:
His explanation was as clear as mud. (not clear at all
since mud is opaque)
(
The film was about as interesting as watching a copy of
Windows download. (long and boring)
(

Watching the show was like watching paint dry. (very
boring).
(
 Some similes in Vietnamese are also very humorous and sarcastic.
For example:
Ăn như rồng cuốn, nói như rồng leo, làm như mèo mửa.
(Luc, 2002, p.31)